One of the world's biggest vintners has a roaring hangover from poor U.S. sales, leading it to destroy thousands of gallons of wine past its prime.

　　由于美国销售情况不佳，全球最大的葡萄酒生产商之一Treasury Wine Estates Ltd。的库存大幅上升，导致该公司决定销毁超过最佳饮用期的数千加仑葡萄酒。

　　Treasury Wine Estates Ltd. TWE.AU -7.83% ─whose brands range from the mass-market, U.S.-made Beringer up to $1,000-a-bottle Penfolds Grange from Australia─said it would book a charge of 160 million Australian dollars (US$145 million) against its U.S. business for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

　　该公司说，截至6月30日的财政年度，旗下美国业务将计入1.6亿澳元(合1.45亿美元)的减记支出。该公司的葡萄酒品牌有面向大众市场的美国产贝灵哲(Beringer)，也有每瓶售价高达1,000美元的澳洲产奔富葛兰许(Penfolds Grange)。

　　The vintner relies heavily on sales of less-expensive labels in the U.S., the world's biggest wine market. Treasury Wine said Monday it had overestimated U.S. demand in the past year, forcing it to discount or destroy older wines that had passed their drink-by date. The company warned it expects to ship less wine to the U.S. this fiscal year, reducing operating earnings by as much as A$30 million.

　　这家葡萄酒厂商严重依赖较为便宜的品牌在全球最大葡萄酒市场美国的销售。Treasury Wine周一说，该公司去年高估了美国的需求，被迫将已经超过最佳饮用期的葡萄酒打折销售，或者予以销毁。该公司警告称，预计本财年美国发货量将减少，营运利润下降最多3,000万澳元。

　　Inexpensive, low-alcohol wines such as White Zinfandel, a key Beringer varietal, don't have nearly as long a shelf life as a high-end Chardonnay or many red wines, said Jon Fredrikson, head of Gomberg, Fredrikson &Associates, an industry consultancy in California, noting that many people who used to reach for a white Zin now opt for Moscato, a similarly sweet wine. Even so, he said, it is 'very rare'' for large quantities of wine to be destroyed.

　　加州葡萄酒业咨询公司Gomberg, Fredrikson &Associates的负责人弗雷德里克松(Jon Fredrikson)说，贝灵哲系列白仙粉黛(White Zinfandel)等廉价低度葡萄酒的最佳饮用期要比高端的霞多丽(Chardonnay)或者许多红葡萄酒短，他指出，许多人过去选择白仙粉黛，如今则转而选择一种类似的甜葡萄酒莫斯卡托(Moscato)。他说，即便如此，大批销毁葡萄酒仍非常罕见。

　　Bulk wine that hasn't sold is redirected to distilleries, which can use it to make brandy or other spirits, although it is too expensive to do that once wine has already been bottled.

　　未售出的散装葡萄酒通常会被发回给酿酒厂，用于生产白兰地或其他烈酒，不过如果葡萄酒已经装瓶，再这样做成本就太高了。

　　By recalling unsold wine bottles from distributors and retailers and then destroying them, wine companies can recoup taxes that were paid on the wine, softening losses, Mr. Fredrikson said.

　　弗雷德里克松说，葡萄酒公司从分销商和零售商召回未售出的瓶装葡萄酒，然后予以销毁，这样做可以拿回之前为葡萄酒缴纳的部分税款，进而减少损失。

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